Sven Olov Dennis Lyxzén (born June 19, 1972) is a Swedish singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist for influential Swedish hardcore punk band Refused, as well as the bands INVSN and Fake Names. He is also a former member of bands including AC4, Step Forward, Final Exit, and The (International) Noise Conspiracy, and co-founded the Swedish record labels Ny Våg and Desperate Fight Records.

Career

Refused

Following a stint in the short-lived hardcore band Step Forward, Lyxzén formed Refused in 1991 with drummer David Sandström, guitarist Pär Hansson, and bassist Jonas Lindgren. They released three studio albums, This Just Might Be... the Truth (1994), Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent (1996), and The Shape of Punk to Come (1998), the latter of which was heavily influential on later bands but a commercial and critical failure upon release, and the group disbanded that same year. In March 2010, there were rumours that Refused would be reuniting after a 12 years hiatus, although Lyxzén dismissed the notion as he and Sandström were busy with the band AC4. However, Refused unexpectedly reunited in 2012 for the Refused Reunion Tour, including appearances at Coachella, the Way Out West Festival, the Fun Fun Fun Fest, and Groezrock in Meerhout, Belgium. While the reunion was intended to be temporary, in 2015 the band released a fourth studio album, Freedom, via Epitaph Records. Speaking on the band's future in 2017, Lyxzén said, "We're not breaking up or anything, we're taking a break to write a new record... But the Australian tour will be the last tour for a while... We'll take some time off, and then we'll start writing some songs but we're not breaking up, no." On 13 June 2024, Lyxzén suffered a heart attack, leading to cancellation of Refused shows in the following weeks.

Other work

Outside of Refused, Lyxzén has been involved in a number of bands, most notably The (International) Noise Conspiracy, INVSN (previously called The Lost Patrol Band), and Fake Names, the latter a supergroup formed with guitarists Brian Baker (Minor Threat, Bad Religion) and Michael Hampton (Embrace), drummer Matt Schulz (Enon), and bassist Johnny Temple (Girls Against Boys). He also revealed in December 2021 that he had formed a new punk band with INVSN bandmate Sara Almgren, with him on rhythm guitar and Almgren on bass and vocals. Lyxzén also runs Ny Våg, an independent punk record label he co-founded with former Refused bassist Inge Johansson, and produced the 2005 self-titled album by label signee Regulations. He also co-founded the now-defunct labels Desperate Fight Records and Umeå Hardcore Records. In 2011, Lyxzén joined Italian electronic act The Bloody Beetroots for their "Church of Noise" tour as a guest vocalist, and was featured on the act's single of the same name. Lyxzén provided the singing vocals for the character Johnny Silverhand (with Refused portraying the character's band Samurai) in the 2020 video game Cyberpunk 2077. He also provided vocals for the track "Silent No More" from the 2022 game Metal: Hellsinger.

Public image and personal life

As a punk rock frontman, Lyxzén's songs are often of a counterculture nature, in line with his socialist politics, although he has explored a variety of topics in his music. Lyxzén was voted "Sexiest Man in Sweden" in 2004 by Elle Magazine. He is a vegan, having discovered animal rights around 1989 and adopted the lifestyle in the early 1990s.

Associated bands

Current bands

Former bands

Selected discography

Refused

INVSN

As The Lost Patrol: As The Lost Patrol Band: As Invasionen: As INVSN:

AC4

The (International) Noise Conspiracy

Final Exit

Step Forward

Fake Names

Instängd

93 Million Miles

By No Means

Garbage Pailkids

Other credits